LANSING, MI — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency to five more counties Friday, April 17, bringing the total under a declaration statewide to 38.
Whitmer issued additional states of emergencies Friday in Eaton, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Mecosta and Muskegon counties. She also declared states of emergencies for the cities of Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor.
The city of Kalamazoo had issued a local state of emergency earlier in the day Friday, due to flooding in the area. Ann Arbor, meanwhile, was the site of one of seven tornadoes confirmed late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.
Across the state, residents have been dealing with numerous issues as communities have dealt with widespread flooding, tornadoes and straight-line winds. Roads, homes and property have all been damaged as a result.
Whitmer issued a state of emergency in 32 counties on Wednesday, five days after issuing one in Cheboygan County due to the increasing water level at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
Friday’s latest declaration will help more impacted areas “with recovery efforts as they work to clean up after severe weather damaged homes, roads, and businesses,” Whitmer said.
“My administration will continue to work with local emergency managers over the weekend and monitor water levels across the state,” she said. “The forecast for next week is looking better, which should provide some breathing room for first responders, but we aren’t out of the woods yet.
“Let’s continue to stay vigilant, and we will get through this together.”
Impassible roads have made rescue and evacuation operations difficult in many regions and multiple rivers throughout the state have continued to experience rising water levels, threatening the condition of various dams.
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Additional rainfall is expected in the coming days, increasing the risk of flooding. This severe weather poses a significant threat of widespread injury and displacement of residents in all affected counties and cities.
Multiple first-responders and other personnel have been working around the clock to address these conditions statewide.
The emergency declaration also allows eligible communities to seek financial assistance under Section 19 of Michigan’s Emergency Management Act.
The funding helps local governments cover emergency response costs and repair public infrastructure damaged by the storms.
